Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pass-through self-grooming devices for the purpose of brushing the fur of a domestic animal. The present invention is particularly useful for grooming cats and small dogs, wherein passageway through the device provides a means to remove loose fur and groom the pet. More specifically, the present invention provides a means for an animal to groom itself as it passes through a grooming tunnel, minimizing the amount of interaction that is required by the pet owner in the grooming process. The device further provides a unique interior structure that facilitates the pet's ability to easily traverse the tunnel without navigating the attached grooming elements, reducing hesitation and eventual pass-through confidence.
Description of the Prior Art
Pet allergies are a problem for many individuals. Humans exhibit allergic reactions to many household pets such as birds, hamsters, rabbits, mice, gerbils, rats, and guinea pigs, with allergies to dogs and cats being the most common. Cat allergies are more prevalent than dog allergies. Allergies can cause skin irritation, an itching sensation around the eyes, nose and throat, watering of the eyes, sneezing, and congestion. Pet allergies can also cause wheezing and bronchial constriction in those with asthma. Interestingly, it is not the pet's hair which is the root cause of allergies. Rather, humans are allergic to certain animal proteins that are excreted by animals in either their saliva or dander, which typically attaches to the animal's hair. The animal's fur also commonly harbors other allergens such as pollen, dust or mold spores. Fur that is shed onto the floor or on furniture may present a problem for those with allergies and shed fur is also unsightly. Regular grooming of an animal can reduce the amount of loose fur and collected allergens that are on the animal, as well as reduce the amount of fur that ends up on the floor or furniture.
Despite being inherently self grooming animals, cats in particular are known to continually shed regardless of their own attentiveness and upkeep. No amount of licking or cleaning performed by a cat completely eliminates the amount of shed fur. Furthermore, when a cat is left to groom itself, the cat has a tendency to develop hairballs, which owners find left on the floor for clean up. Cats therefore require grooming assistance, which a pet owner may not necessarily have time to afford the pet in order to adequately brush or groom consistently as he or she should.
The present invention comprises a pet grooming device that allows the pet to groom itself without help from its owner. The device is a pass-through tunnel that employs a plurality of grooming elements within its interior. Along the base of the tunnel is an open channel of removed grooming elements to allow the pet to easily enter the tunnel without otherwise stepping onto the upstanding grooming elements. This design promotes increased comfort for the pet and increased willingness to enter the tunnel passageway. The device comprises a unitary, flexible sheet of brushing bristles that rolls to form a tube-shape. The tube-shaped device comprises a first and second opening, along with grooming elements attached to the interior of the tube. The interior of the device features a walking path that is free from bristles, as mentioned, such that the animal may step through the device without hurting its paws. A pet is able to walk through the openings of the tube and have its fur brushed as it makes its way from the first to second opening. As the animal passes through the device, the grooming elements brush loose hair in the natural direction from head to tail. The elements contact the pet along its top, sides and underbelly for complete coverage. The distance that the animal must pass through when traversing the device ensures sufficient engagement of the fur by the grooming elements, promoting a thorough grooming of the animal with each pass. Embodiments of the device include a boundary crossing tube, such as one being mounted in front of a pet door or boundary crossing, as well as a standalone embodiment that is supported by a stationary platform. Both the standalone and boundary crossing embodiment are capable of assembly from a planar configuration, which facilitates storage and shipping.
A number of different pass-through grooming pet devices have been patented and published in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,088 to Owens describes an arched grooming portal designed to be incorporated into a pet door. As the animal moves from room to room through the pet door, the pet must use the portal covered pet door to gain access to the next room. The portal brushes the animal each time it enters or exits the portal. The device is arched similar to a horseshoe and incorporates grooming bristles, which are attached to the inner arch of the device. When the animal passes through the portal, the bristles gently brush the animal's sides, head and back. The present invention provides a unique pass-through device that has the flexibility to be installed in either an entryway or as a standalone structure. Since the Owens device is horseshoe shaped with no underside grooming elements, the underbelly of the animal remains un-brushed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,169 to Barmakian also describes a grooming portal device that is designed to be incorporated into a pet door. As the animal moves from room to room, the device allows ingress and egress of an animal through the portal. The portal comprises several triangular-shaped flaps that completely cover the portal, with the flap ends converging towards the center of the portal. The animal must push past these flaps in order to get through the portal. Both sides of the portal flaps are covered with small gripping bristles designed to grab at loose fur, so that when the animal passes through the device, either coming or going, grooming of the animal will occur. As the animal moves through the portal, the bristles engage the animal's fur, brushing the fur in the natural direction of the hair—i.e. brushing the hair from the nose of the animal to the tail. The Barmakian device provides little to no visual clearance through the passageway, leading to trepidation in the pet as to how to navigate through the portal. Further, the flaps operate in a single direction, which do not readily allow the animal to back up once engaged in the portal. This arrangement can lead to injury if the animal stops, gets frightened and attempts to go backward. The triangles would dig into the animal and cause injury thereto.
The Owens and Barmakian patents both describe pass-through devices for the purpose of grooming an animal. But both devices exhibit the same shortcoming in the devices. These patents describe portal devices designed to attach to a pet door, so as the pet passes through the portal, from room to room, the portal device grooms the animal. The primary disadvantage related to these devices is the limited amount of time the animal's fur is in contact with the grooming mechanisms of each as the animal passes through the device. Each patent describes a portal device that fits inside pet door parameters. The depth of these devices is limited to the depth of the doorway or barrier. The animal could quickly bolt through the device, limiting the amount of contact the bristles have with the animal's fur. The present invent requires the animal to pass through the device for a longer distance in order to traverse the length of the device, allowing the grooming elements to have significantly greater contact with the animal's fur. The length of the present invention ensures that the animal's fur is sufficiently engaged to promote a thorough grooming with each pass. Since the present invention is a pass-through device, if it is used on a doorway in which the animal must transverse frequently, the self-grooming process provided by this device can become a regularly practiced, daily occurrence, providing thorough grooming and dander removal from the pet. The present invention provides embodiments for a barrier passageway and a standalone structure, each of which provides the same functionality, while the doorway embodiment provides function and ingress/egress into and from a room.
Other forms of self-grooming devices exist in the prior art and are considered relevant to the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 7,444,959 to Hensley describes a stationary, upstanding device with multiple brushes for grooming and massaging a cat. The brushes are oriented such that at least one brush is in a horizontal position and at least one brush is oriented in a vertical position. The grooming brushes grip, extract, capture and retain loose fur when the animal rubs against the bristle covered surfaces. A cat will approach the device and rub their body against the bristles to satisfying itches. Unbeknownst to the cat, while the feline is satisfying his or her itches, the device simultaneously will brush the animal's fur and remove loose hair.
The disadvantage to stationary devices such as the Hensley device is that the animal is unlikely to rub their entire body on the grooming brush implement of the device. Rather, the animal is more prone to merely use the device for satisfying an itch in one small area of the pet's body. A stationary device provides no incentive to the animal to groom his or her entire body against the device. Conversely, the present invention implements a pass-through design that promotes grooming of the whole animal. When the device serves as the only means for the animal to get from one room to another, and there is an incentive for the animal to pass through the device—such as food or a favorite sleeping area on the other side of the device, the animal will transverse the grooming portal as described by the present invention. As the animal emerges from the other end of the present invention, the animal will be nicely groomed. Continual passes over time ensure the pet becomes accustomed to the device and facilitates improved grooming of the pet with minimal owner interaction.
In light of the devices in the prior art and their inherent differences, it is submitted that the improvements embodied by the present invention substantially diverge from the design elements of the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing animal self-grooming pass-through devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.